Improvement in car-couplings



n. H. nowuua.

Car-Couplings.

NO. 142,682. PatentedSeptember9,1873.

* TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT H. DOWLING, OF NEWARK, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOHN F. WILSON, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 42,682, dated September 9, 1873; application filed May 17,1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. DOWLING, of Newark, in the county of Licking and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Couplings; and Ido declare that the following is a true and accurate description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, and being a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspectix'e view of my improved coupler attached to a draw-bar and raised ready to couple. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same as it appears after coupling.

Like letters refer to like parts in both figures.

This invention relates to an improved form of self -acting coupling for railway-cars, so constructed and arranged that two cars on coming together will automatically couple themselves together, or at the will of the train-men can be so arranged as not to couple; and it consists in an inverted U-sha-ped stirrup straddling the end of the draw-head, in the sides of which guide-slots are formed to receive the stirrups. In the front edge of each slot or groove is an angular offset to receive the lower edge of the stirrup and support it in an elevated position. The stirrup carries a pendent pin to engage with the link; also, provided with a yoke, pivoted to its sides, serving as a lever to disengage it from the offsets in the draw-head to allow it to drop and pass the pin through the approaching link.

In the drawing, A represents an ordinary draw-head, provided with the usual pin-holes, and formed with a vertical groove, a, at each side, the front edge of each having formed in it an angular ofl'set, a. Behind the grooves a stud, 1), projects from each side of the drawhcad. B is a metallic stirrup, sliding in the grooves a, and carrying the coupling-pin O, which is inserted in the pin-holes. To the lower part of the stirrup a yoke, D, is pivoted thereto at c. The ends of this yoke project beyond the pivots to form a lever, with their ends rounded off, as shown.

WVhen the stirrup is raised and engaged with the offsets a the ends of the levers come under the studs b, and, their ends being sloped, the tendency of the lever-yoke is to keep the stirrup engaged with the offsets, while the connecting-bar extends across the lower front end of the draw-head, as in Fig. 1. If, in this position, a car, having a link protruding from its draw-head, approach the stationary car on coming together of the draw-bars the yoke will be pushed back, disengaging the stirrup from the offsets, whereupon it will drop and. carry the pin through the entering-link, as seen in Fig. 2, and thus couple the cars together.

To prevent the cars from coupling, the bale of the yoke may be thrown over the top of the draw-bar.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

. The stirrup B, carrying the pin O and pivoted yoke D, in combination with a draw-bar, A, having the grooves d, offsets a, and studs b, arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

ROBERT E. DOWLDIG.

Witnesses:

H. S. SPRAGUE, OHAs. E. HUEsTIs. 

